Israeli occupation forces on Friday evening released the Minister of Jerusalem Affairs, Fadi Hidmi, after detaining him for several hours at the Moroccan compound in occupied Jerusalem.
Hidmi was detained for allegedly violating an Israeli ban on Palestinian political activities in east Jerusalem.
Fadi Hidmi Palestinian minister for Jerusalem affairs is arrested from his home in a pre-dawn raid by israeli troops. His crime creating https://t.co/ilyBVBiN6k website to help Jerusalemites. Sick occupiers https://t.co/uuYVIZtysM
— Daoud Kuttab (داود (في المنزل (@daoudkuttab) April 3, 2020
Hidmi told reporters, following his release, that Israeli police and intelligence officers raided his home in the middle of the night and thoroughly searched it before detaining him.
Hidmi said that during his brief detention, interrogators questioned him about the Palestinian government’s aid provided to the Palestinian citizens of occupied East Jerusalem as part of the ongoing campaign against the coronavirus outbreak.
After early morning raid & after a few punches in the face, & a warning not to move around in Jerusalem or do anything in support of the people in regards to the coronavirus, Israeli authorities released Minister of Jerusalem affairs in the Palestinian government @FadiHidmi
— Daoud Kuttab (داود (في المنزل (@daoudkuttab) April 3, 2020
The minister added that the Palestinian government will continue to fulfill its responsibilities towards the indigenous Palestinian population of Jerusalem despite the ongoing Israeli crackdown on its work in the city.
It was the fourth time al-Hidmi has been arrested since assuming office in April 2019.
(WAFA, PC, Social Media)
